Sugar and Spice and Everything Nice
by JewWitch
Summary: Takes place in S5, soon after Cole has been vanquished for good. A well meaning Paige casts a spell to cheer her sisters up, but it doesn't turn out exactly how she planned...
1. Chapter 1

**Sugar and Spice and Everything Nice**

**By JewWitch**

Okay, I know I have another story that I totally abandoned...I'm sorry! Turns out I'm better with the mushy stuff than actual monster-plot stuff. Anyway, this story just popped out, so I hope those who wanted a sequel to my last sister-story (History Repeats Itself) will enjoy it! Maybe after I get this out of my system, I can finish _The Witching Hour_. --JW

**Summary:** Takes place in the same timeline as my other non-AU story, _History Repeats Itself_, in S5 soon after Cole has been vanquished for good. A well-meaning Paige casts a spell that doesn't turn out quite how she planned, showing her another side of her sisters...

Rating: G

"Wake up, ladybug..." A warm, familiar body was crawling into Phoebe's bed, nudging her insistently, and somewhere nearby was the strong smell of her favorite dark-roast coffee.

"Mmmph," Phoebe sighed sleepily.

"Happy birthday!" another much louder voice squealed, followed immediately by a thud that knocked Phoebe awake with a startled gasp, as her younger sister pounced on her.

"Ouch!" Phoebe whined, rubbing her stomach. She pushed Paige onto Piper and sat up, glaring. "Watch the elbows, Spazzy McGee."

"Sorry," Paige grinned. "Happy birthday!" she said again, throwing herself onto Phoebe and hugging her tightly. "We made you breakfast in bed." Phoebe raised her eyebrows. "Okay," Paige conceded, "Piper made you breakfast in bed. But I _would've_ helped, if she'd let me." Piper looked only slightly abashed.

"Should I let Phoebe cook for you on your birthday?" she asked pointedly.

"Phoebe doesn't cook," Paige pointed out, reaching over to the bedside table and picking up a lemon-poppy scone from the well-laden tray.

"Hey!" Piper smacked Paige's hand before she'd even taken a bite. "That's for Phoebe."

"She can have it," Phoebe shrugged, curling up on her pillow and turning her back to both of them. "I'm not hungry." Piper and Paige looked at each other, and frowned.

"Don't you want to open your presents, Pheebs?" Piper asked, gently stroking her sister's messy hair.

"Mmmm...later," Phoebe mumbled, burrowing her face into her pillow.

"You really should open them now," Paige said, in an unconvincingly casual voice.

"Why?" Phoebe sat up and frowned suspiciously at the pile of smartly wrapped packages at the foot of her bed, then back at her sisters. "There isn't a puppy in one of those boxes, is there? Because I remember being very clear on the topic of pity gifts."

"No puppies," Piper assured her, smiling mysteriously. Phoebe scowled at Paige's giggle.

"Oh, all right," Phoebe groaned. "Give me that coffee."

The first present turned out to be a new bathing suit, a paisley-patterned bikini she'd admired in a store window several months ago. Resisting the urge to comment on the utility of such a gift in November, Phoebe settled for a stiff smile, moving on to a second, much larger package. This time, she couldn't keep the confused frown off her face.

"New luggage?" she whined. "What am I, a middle-aged housewife? What do I even need new luggage for? It's not like I ever go anywhere."

"Maybe you should open this one next," Paige said shrewdly, as she handed Phoebe a card-sized envelope. Phoebe raised a suspicious eyebrow, but took the card her sister was holding out for her, slitting it open so a glossy brochure fell onto her lap.

"What's this?" Phoebe asked blankly.

"That's where we'll be in a few hours," Piper said, a huge grin on her face as Paige jumped excitedly up and down on the bed beside her.

"No way," Phoebe breathed, her eyes going wide as she took in the words _Montage Spa & Resort, Laguna Beach_. "You...you guys are taking me to a spa?"

"It's not just a spa!" Paige exploded, grabbing the brochure from Phoebe's hands giddily. "Check it out! Five-star oceanfront accommodations! Our suite even has a Jacuzzi in the bathroom."

"Suite?" Phoebe said weakly, looking back and forth between her sisters disbelievingly. "Jacuzzi?"

"Happy birthday, baby girl," Piper grinned. Phoebe looked as if she'd just been hit in the face with something heavy. Then, with a bloodcurdling shriek, she threw her arms around both her sisters, hugging them tightly.

"Oh my god, oh my god!" Phoebe squealed. "I can't believe you guys did this! This is..." Abruptly Phoebe pulled back, frowning. "This is way too expensive. How can we possibly--?"

"Don't worry about it," Piper said dismissively with a wave of her hand. "It's already done. All you need to do is pack your new suitcase, and meet us downstairs in an hour."

"Yeah," Paige nodded enthusiastically. "We'll be traveling by first-class orbs!" Phoebe looked back and forth between her sisters, both of them beaming at her. After everything she'd put them through with Cole...all the vanquishes and false hopes, all the pain and bloodshed, all they wanted was to make her happy. It was this thought that made Phoebe smile, even as her throat constricted and she felt hot tears on her face.

"Oh, sweetie, don't," Piper begged, stroking Phoebe's tears away and kissing her cheek. "What's the matter?" Phoebe shook her head, breathing jerkily as she struggled to control herself.

"Nothing," she sniffled with a watery smile. "I'm just...surprised, that's all. Thank you both, so much. It's the best birthday present a girl could ever have." Paige and Piper beamed. "Well, I'd better get packing, if we're leaving in an hour!"

Leaving their sister to pack, Piper and Paige returned to the kitchen, both having packed their own bags the night before. Paige noticed a far away, preoccupied expression on her oldest sister's face as she sipped her coffee absently.

"Pi?" Paige said tentatively. "Everything okay?" Piper blinked, shaking herself out of whatever place her mind had wandered to, giving her sister a reassuring smile.

"Everything's fine, Paigey. I was just thinking...hoping, actually...that this vacation will help get Phoebe back on her feet. I just hate seeing her so sad all the time..." Piper sighed, staring out the window into the overcast sky outside.

"Yeah," Paige agreed. Privately, she thought they could all use the pick-me-up. The last few months had been hard on all of them; that was why she'd suggested to Piper that a nice, semi-tropical getaway might be just the ticket to shaking off the melancholy that had descended over the Manor.

"I haven't seen her this moody since high school," Piper added quietly. "You should've seen her as a little kid, Paigey...she was always so happy. Grams used to call her our little sunshine." She smiled wistfully. Paige didn't know what to say. Trying to smile back, she came to a decision.

"I'm just gonna go make a final sweep of my room," Paige declared, jumping up suddenly from her chair. "Make sure I didn't forget anything."

"'Kay," Piper nodded absently, sipping her coffee as she stared out the window again at the mottled gray sky. Paige padded up the stairs, passing her bedroom, finding her way to the attic where the Book of Shadows lay open on its pedestal. She flipped through it until she found the spell she'd been considering carefully over the past few weeks, ever since Phoebe had returned from her brief stint as queen of the underworld. But really, she couldn't see how personal gain could be an issue here; this was for Piper and Phoebe, not for her. And they needed it desperately. Fortifying her resolve, Paige knelt on the floor and lit three orange candles, pouring out a handful of crushed lavender and marjoram on the rug in front of her. She closed her eyes, took a slow, steadying breath, and chanted: "Let happiness and joy into my sisters' life; away with the stress, anger, and strife. From all pain and darkness, let them be free; until seven suns set, banish all negativity." When she'd finished the chant, Paige slowly opened her eyes, and blew out the candles. _Had it worked? _Unlike a vanquish, the spell she'd just cast to give her sisters a temporary mood booster didn't necessarily have any immediate, obvious impact. _Only one way to find out_, she thought with a shrug, and headed back downstairs.

"Hey," Paige called. Phoebe looked up from the piles of clothes strewn across her bed, and smiled at her younger sister, who greeted her from her doorway.

"Hey yourself," Phoebe answered. "Do you think I should bring this?" she held up a short silver skirt she hadn't worn in months, one of her old favorites for dancing.

"Most definitely," Paige grinned. Phoebe nodded, tossing the skirt on what was apparently the _yes_ pile.

"Paige, I..." Phoebe trailed off, busying herself with the heap of shoes at the foot of her bed. "I hope you know how much this means to me. After what I put you and Piper through..." she broke off, swallowing the slight quaver in her voice. "I'm still kind of surprised you both want to spend any time with me at all."

"Oh, Pheebs, of course we do," Paige said firmly, crossing the room to hug her sister, trying not to show her disappointment that the spell seemed not to have worked after all. _I guess I'll just have to cheer them up the old-fashioned way_, she thought to herself as Phoebe's arms wrapped tightly around her. She couldn't help noticing, as she hugged her sister, how much her ribs stuck out.

"The first thing we're doing after we check in is ordering room service, and having a massive pig-out...you're getting way too thin, missy." Phoebe snorted.

"You sound more like Piper every day," she said wryly.

"Does that mean you're gonna start listening to me?" Paige deadpanned, eyebrows raised.

"Depends...can we order something chocolate?" Phoebe grinned sheepishly.

Hours later, after they'd oohed and ahhed over the lavish resort and the pristine beaches, had full-body seaweed wraps and deep-tissue massages, they did indeed order an all-chocolate dinner to be delivered directly to their suite: chocolate croissants, chocolate crepes, and chocolate mousse cake were consumed one after the other, until all three of them were groaning contentedly, strewn in a semi-conscious daze across Piper's bed.

"I haven't done anything this decadent since that time I ate birthday cake for breakfast when I was three." Phoebe made this pronouncement without lifting her head from the bed where she lay flat on her back, blinking up at the cream-colored ceiling with eyes half-lidded.

"You remember that?" Piper said curiously, equally motionless with her head hanging off the end of the bed, looking up at Phoebe upside down.

"I think so," Phoebe shrugged. "But maybe I just remember Prue telling me about it." Piper snickered.

"She was just mad that Mom didn't punish you for being such a little piggy." Paige laughed at Piper's upside-down piggy face. Phoebe yawned. "Tired, honey?"

"Mmhmm," Phoebe mumbled, eyes closed. "I'm sooooo relaxed right now...maybe tomorrow we can sail to Catalina...or go sea kayaking..." Phoebe trailed off, and Paige wondered if she was asleep, her own eyes growing very heavy. _In a minute I'll get up and go back to my own bed,_ she thought. She could feel her sisters' even breathing on either side of her, lulling her gently. Phoebe shifted, and her shoulder pressed against Paige's leg, warm and solid. And just like that, her mind went completely, blissfully blank, as the blackness of sleep rolled over her.

Opening her eyes in the dazzling morning sunlight, Paige found herself alone in the middle of the bed. She blinked, stretching out her arms and arching her back; she could hear the sound of water running in the bathroom, and the clinking of dishes in the dining area around the corner. Rolling onto her stomach, Paige let her eyes fall shut again, in no hurry to leave the warm and comfortable bed. Then a loud crash of shattering glass propelled Paige upright, like a tightly coiled spring, bolting toward the noise with the grim certainty that she was about to come face-to-face with some nasty demon bent on ruining their vacation. Rounding the corner at top speed, Paige slipped on the highly polished floor and grabbed the couch to keep from falling flat on her face. As she did so, she found herself coming face-to-face not with a demon, but a little girl in Strawberry Shortcake pajamas. She looked about six, with glossy brown hair tied back in two pigtails on either side of her head, and a slightly guilty expression on her freckle-splashed face.

"I'm sorry," the little girl said quickly. "I didn't mean to break the vase! I just wanted to watch cartoons." She gestured to the remains of a glass vase of fresh flowers scattered on the floor between the couch and the television. Paige gaped soundlessly, her mouth hanging open.

"Pi...Piper?" she squeaked.

"Uh-huh." The little girl blinked innocently. "Who are you?"

Paige was temporarily spared the need to answer by a shriek from around the corner, as an even smaller body came hurtling into the room at top speed, stark naked and dripping soap suds everywhere, dark hair plastered to her face.

"Piper!" she laughed. Too young to have mastered the proper pronounciation of the letter _R_, what came out sounded more like _Pi-pow_. "Look! Bubbles!" The naked three-year-old hopped up and down on the spot, splashing huge clouds of foamy suds everywhere.

"Phoebe?" Paige asked, wincing. Little Phoebe looked up, blinking.

"Who are you?" she asked, reiterating her sister's question. "Where's Mommy? And Pwue?" She didn't sound upset, only curious; it seemed she hadn't learned how to worry yet.

"Uhhh, girls, why don't you watch cartoons for a few minutes, and I'll, um..." Paige fumbled with the TV, realizing as she turned around that Phoebe was still naked and shivering slightly in the air conditioning. She wrapped her tiny sister in a large, fluffy towel, and sat her on the couch next to Piper in front of Spongebob Squarepants. "I just, uh, have to take a shower, and then we'll, uh, we'll get some breakfast. Okay?"

"'Kay," Piper nodded distractedly, her attention already captured by the cartoon while Phoebe leaned against her, sucking her thumb contentedly and bouncing her feet off the end of the couch. They both seemed perfectly at ease, while Paige's heart thumped like a bass guitar as she stumbled backwards into the bathroom, barely getting the door closed before hissing, _"Leo!!!"_ Immediately, Leo materialized in the bathroom, a politely inquisitive expression on his face.

"Hey Paige," he smiled. "Having a good vacation?"

"Leo," Paige said quietly through clenched teeth, "do you sense anything...different...about Phoebe and Piper?"

"Different?" Leo frowned. "Different how?"

"If you have to ask, then the answer's definitely no." Paige paced a tight circle in the confines of the marble bathroom. "How about demonic activity? Anything big in the last twelve hours?"

"Not that I know of-- Paige, what's going on?"

"What's going on?" Paige repeated wryly. "Follow me." She took his hand and lead him quietly from the bathroom, tiptoeing to the edge of the bedroom to peek around the corner into the sitting area. When Leo saw the tiny Piper and Phoebe sitting there, laughing at Spongebob and Mr. Krabs, his jaw dropped, but he managed to be _silently_ shocked. Tiptoeing back to the bathroom, Paige turned back to Leo with a _now what _expression on her face.

"And you have absolutely no idea how this happened?" Leo asked bemusedly.

"Nope," Paige shook her head. "Unless-- I guess it maybe could've been that spell I cast..."

"What spell?"

"It was just a happiness spell, I cast it for Phoebe's birthday to cheer her and Piper up. But it didn't say anything about de-aging 25 years!"

"Paige, you should know enough by now to remember that sometimes spells don't work quite the way you expect them to. What was the exact wording of the incantation?"

"It was just something about removing all negativity and pain...you know, help them forget about the whole, Phoebe being queen of the underworld thing for a while."

"Paige--"

"Don't tell me this is because of personal gain, Leo! It wasn't for me, it was for my sisters. And they _needed_ to be cheered up, and I'm _not_ sorry."

"I wasn't going to say that," Leo said defensively. "I don't think it's a personal gain issue, either."

"You don't?" Paige blinked quizzically.

"Your spell was to remove _all_ negativity and pain...not just the pain of vanquishing Cole. Think about what you actually said, Paige. To fulfill the terms, the spell had to find a way to erase their first, defining pain-- the pain of losing their mother."

"So it took them back to before it happened," Paige finished, staring blankly at the cheerful, ocean-patterned shower curtain. "Oh, fuck me. How do I change them back?"

"I don't think you can."

"Leo," Paige said, her voice strangely calm despite her mounting hysteria, "I am _way_ not ready to be a single mother of two."

"I didn't mean that," Leo chuckled, grinning. Paige was infuriated that he seemed to be getting such amusement from the situation. "I just meant the spell has to run its course. There's a time limit, isn't there?" Paige frowned thoughtfully.

"A week," she said finally. "The spell's supposed to last seven days."

"Perfect." Leo smiled. "By the time you get back from your vacation, it'll be over."

"You cannot possibly be suggesting what I think you're suggesting, if you're suggesting that I stay here all week with them!" Paige hissed. "We have to get them back to the manor right now!"

"Actually, I think you'll be much safer here," Leo said with a shake of his head. "At this age, the girls didn't have their powers, and at the manor you'll be sitting ducks for any demon that happens by. Plus, there'd be a lot of awkward questions to answer. Here, you're anonymous, and safe from most demon activity."

"But...but..." Paige spluttered. "I don't know what to do with two little kids for a week! We don't have any toys-- I don't even have any clothes for them, for God's sake!"

"I'll go back to the manor and orb you their old stuff from the attic," Leo shrugged. "Grams always saved everything."

"What am I supposed to _do_ with them, Leo?" Paige whined.

"Have fun," Leo shrugged. "Wasn't that the whole point of the spell?" Paige pouted and crossed her arms. "We'll just have to figure out what to tell them..."

"...Mommy never said we had an auntie," Piper said suspiciously, as Paige wrangled a wiggly Phoebe into a bathing suit and a large beach cover-up.

"That's because I lived too far away to visit," Paige said vaguely. _Try 25 years too far_, she thought wryly. "But I'm here now."

"For my birthday!" Phoebe exclaimed, her bouncing causing Paige to accidentally catch her hair in one of the straps of her suit.

"Pheebs, honey, I need you to stand still for a minute, okay?" Phoebe obediently stopped bouncing.

"How come Mommy and Prue aren't here?" Piper asked, a slightly sulky edge to her voice.

"I told you," Paige said patiently, "Prue couldn't miss school, and Mommy stayed home to take care of her. That's why she asked me to take the two of you on vacation." Piper frowned thoughtfully.

"If you're really our auntie," she said slowly, "you should know everything about us."

"That's true," Paige nodded solemnly. "I do."

"What's our doggie's name?" Piper asked, eyes narrowed.

"Rasputin," Paige answered promptly.

"What's my favorite dessert?"

"Blueberry cobbler," Paige grinned.

"What does our Grams call Phoebe?"

"I believe," Paige said slowly, tickling little Phoebe around the middle so she shrieked with laughter, "that this girl...is _our little sunshine_."

"Come on, Auntie Paige!" Phoebe exclaimed, pulling her hand with all her three-year-old strength. "I want you to build a sand castle with me!"


	2. A Day at the Beach

**Sugar and Spice and Everything Nice**

By JewWitch

Chapter 2

It was odd, but Paige imagined that she got far fewer lusty leers than she was accustomed to when she was out on the beach in her bikini; the smiles cast her way now were mostly from other young families, moms and dads with their own children, and older couples who grinned at her indulgently as if at a favored grandchild. Paige watched from her beach chair as Piper crouched over a tide pool and pulled out a starfish, while Phoebe approached another young child with a pile of sand toys, who immediately handed her a star-shaped shovel and seahorse pail.

"Your little girl is quite the charmer," a deep voice said over her shoulder.

"Oh," Paige turned, startled by the proximity of the man standing so close behind her lounge chair. "Yes, she certainly is...but I'm not her mom. Just her aunt."

"Ah." The man nodded. He looked to be in his early thirties, with sandy blond hair and a truly flawless tan. "Then she's lucky to have an aunt who takes her on vacation to a place like this." Paige smiled politely, trying to keep both her sisters in her sight. Anytime she looked up and didn't see one of them, her heart clutched like she'd gotten an electric shock, and for a split-second, she'd be convinced they had been carried away by the ocean and were drowning at that very moment.

"The lifeguards here are the best in the country, you know," her visitor added casually, smiling back at her. Paige looked up sheeplishly.

"Am I that obvious?"

"Don't worry, it's perfectly natural," he assured her, grinning. "You'll be a good mom some day." His teeth were very white and even. Paige grinned back automatically. "I'm David, by the way." He offered his hand, and Paige shook it. "And that little joker," he pointed to the sandy-haired boy now engrossed in building a sandcastle with Phoebe, "is my son Jackson."

"Paige Matthews," Paige smiled. "That's Phoebe...and that one," she glanced over to her "oldest" little sister, "is her sister Piper. We're here for Phoebe's birthday."

"Wow, you are a nice aunt," David grinned, making Paige blush slightly. "How old is she turning?"

_Twenty-eight_, Paige thought wryly. "Three years old today," she smirked.

"Great age," David nodded.

"If you say--" Suddenly Paige's flirting was cut short by a shriek from near the water, causing Paige's heart to seize with the intensity of several heart-attacks, as Phoebe flung her wet and sandy body onto Paige's legs.

"Wave spwashed me and wuined my sand-cassow!" Phoebe wailed, sobbing her little heart out as Paige lifted her into her arms, where the little girl immediately buried her face in Paige's neck, smearing hot tears and spit in her hair.

"Aww, baby girl, it's okay," Paige soothed, rocking her wailing little sister slightly while glancing up to share an amused glance with David over the source of Phoebe's distress. "Next time we'll build one further away from the water, okay?" Phoebe sniffed and hiccupped.

"Looks like it's N-A-P time," David observed, spelling out the offending word like a pro.

"Oh...yeah." Paige nodded in realization, looking around for Piper. "Piper!" She called. "C'mon, it's time to go." Piper came immediately when she was called, but she wore a sullen expression.

"I don't wanna go yet!" She whined. "I wanna see more star-fishies!"

"You can see more starfish later," Paige assured her. "Right now your sister needs a rest, okay?"

"But can't I stay out, Auntie Paige? I'm a big girl now! Please?" Paige sighed in frustration.

"You know, Jackson and I will be out here on the beach all afternoon," David offered. "Piper's welcome to stay with us until you and Phoebe come back."

"Yeah!" Piper beamed. "Stay with Jackson."

"That's very nice of you to offer, David, but I think I'll have to decline this time." Paige smiled stiffly. "I'm sure we'll see you both around, though." With that, she took a firm hold on Piper's hand, and led her away, her wails of injustice now matching Phoebe's for volume. Paige hated the feeling of leading the two of them away in tears, but there was no way on God's green earth she was going to leave Piper with a complete stranger whose last name she didn't even know, even if he did have a great tan and a charming smile. Her feelings of protectiveness swelled up inside her, warring with her irritation at how unreasonable both Piper and Phoebe were being. Little kids really hated not getting their way, Paige reflected, her cheeks burning with embarrassment all the way through the hotel lobby, where she felt sure everyone was staring at her and judging her an unfit parent as she dragged a howling Piper by the hand, with Phoebe wrapped around her like a tiny shrieking monkey.

_You guys are sooooo gonna owe me for this,_ she thought irritably as they finally stumbled back into their suite. Paige quickly realized that both girls were a menace to the furniture, as they were coated with wet sand, and stood them both in the bathtub before stripping them out of their suits. Half the beach appeared to fall into the tub when she got Phoebe's off. How could one little kid get so much sand inside her bathing suit, honestly? Paige's musings were cut short when Phoebe twisted away from her, and stamped her feet with a piercing wail of misery. Piper still looked grumpy, too, but she wasn't crying anymore, just pouting and rubbing her red eyes.

"Piper, honey, do you know the itsy-bitsy-spider?" Paige asked, hoping to distract the six-year-old from her bad mood and help her calm the exhausted three-year-old from her mounting tantrum.

Piper nodded, and very quietly croaked out, "The itsy-bitsy spiiiid-der went up the water spout..."

"Down came the rain and washed the spider out," Paige sang, at the same time pulling the detachable showerhead down and rinsing the sand off the two small bodies in the tub. Piper smiled, and Phoebe's crying began to quiet as she attempted to add her voice to the song.

"Out came da sun...and dwied up all da wain..." Phoebe sniffed, allowing Paige to wash her without resistance.

"And the itsy-bitsy spider went up the spout again," Paige finished, pleased with herself for getting her sisters clean and quiet in one fell swoop. She turned off the water, and wrapped them both in fluffy white towels, lifting an increasingly limp Phoebe into her arms as Piper trailed behind. She managed to get Phoebe dried and dressed in a pair of soft cotton pajamas with a picture of a unicorn on the front, while Piper was able to dry and dress herself.

"Okay, Pheebs, time to go night-night," Paige said softly, laying her "little" sister down on the fluffy comforter.

"Stowie," Phoebe insisted groggily, holding Paige's hand firmly against her side.

"Mommy always tells a story before naptime," Piper explained importantly, sitting beside Paige and leaning against her, wrapping herself around Paige's other arm and rubbing the soft skin of her forearm absentmindedly. It was such an un-Piper-ish thing to do, Paige had to remind herself all over again that this was an innocent, six-year-old version of her fiery, take-control sister, one who clearly felt comfortable giving Paige her complete trust. Paige smiled and kissed the top of Piper's head.

"Why don't you go and pick out one of the books we brought?" She murmured, which Piper was only too happy to oblige. She scampered from the room and returned moments later with _Horton Hears a Who_. The three of them settled into the large, comfy bed, Paige in the middle with both her sisters using her as a giant, human teddy bear, nestled up snugly against her. By the time she read the last "a person's a person, no matter how small," Phoebe and Piper were both fast asleep.


	3. a fulltime job

Sugar and Spice

Chapter 3

By JewWitch

Paige woke up slowly, feeling warm and heavy, knowing instinctively that she hadn't moved a muscle the entire time she'd been asleep. She was barely even aware of her body; it was a state of relaxation so advanced, the only thing really tying her to the physical world at all was her sisters' warm weight against her, and their even breathing. Everything else was a blur, like light filtering through water.

Then Piper shifted and sighed, and her fingers grazed Paige's arm, bringing Paige unexpectedly back into herself. She opened her eyes lazily, feeling more refreshed and relaxed then she had in a long, long time. She glanced down at her sisters, still fast asleep against her, and smiled. They were so fucking cute like this...Piper with her mouth half open, drooling on the pillow, her little freckle-splashed face slack with sleep; while Phoebe sucked her thumb, and burrowed into Paige's side. Paige felt no need to rush them out of their nap, and simply laid there for several minutes, stroking their silky hair and enjoying the stillness. Then with a huge yawn, Piper blinked and sat up, wiping the drool from her lips with the back of her hand.

"Auntie Paige?" she mumbled huskily, her voice still full of sleep.

"Hi sweet girl...did you have a good dream?"

"Uh-huh," Piper yawned again, crawling up a few inches and leaning her head against Paige's shoulder like a limp noodle. "I dreamed we had magic powers, and you were an angel."

"Huh. What a funny dream," Paige grinned. Some part of her Piper was still in there after all, it seemed.

"Auntie Paige, are you going to stay with us forever?" Piper asked, twirling a lock of Paige's black hair between her fingers.

"Do you want me to?" Paige asked, propping herself up on one elbow to look into Piper's serious, six-year-old eyes.

"Uh-huh," Piper nodded. "Mommy says our family is strongest when we're all together, and we should always take care of each other." She blinked innocently.

"Oh, Piper..." Paige grinned, and wiped away the tears that sprang to her eyes. "I think Mommy's right. We _should_ all take care of each other...I'll always be here for you, okay?"

"Okay," Piper nodded happily. Then she leaned across Paige's stomach and shook Phoebe's shoulder. "Phoeeeeebeeeeee," she sang, patting the three-year-old's cheeks and gently ruffling her hair. "It's wake up time!" Phoebe sighed sleepily, but didn't stir.

"C'mon, baby girl," Paige cooed, tickling her lightly under her chin. Phoebe's eyes blinked open blearily, with the exact same vacant, groggy expression Paige had seen a million times before when her sister was just waking up. She snickered, thinking how some things never change.

"Octopus," Phoebe mumbled sleepily, rubbing her eyes.

"Were you dreaming about an octopus, little bug?" Paige asked soothingly, smoothing Phoebe's baby-soft hair back from her face.

_"Octopus," _Phoebe said again, somewhat more emphatically.

"She means the song," Piper clarified, sitting up and going into what Paige immediately recognized as an early-childhood version of her 'big sister mode.' "Phoebe likes to listen to the octopus song when she wakes up from her nap."

"Octopus song?" Paige repeated hollowly, her heart sinking. She thought she'd been doing a bang-up job babysitting her sisters so far, but this was a pretty tall order. How the hell was she supposed to find some obscure 1970's kid's song about an octopus?

"Octopus song," Phoebe whined plaintively, sitting up to look at Paige with her most beseechingly wide-eyed expression of need. Paige looked back at her sister helplessly, hoping she wouldn't pitch another fit like the one on the beach.

"Phoebe, honey, I don't know the octopus...wait a minute." Paige got up and knelt on the floor next to their luggage, rummaging around in Phoebe's bag until she found her sister's iPod. _She doesn't mean...? _Taking a gulp and hoping she was right, she plugged it into the port, so the sound would carry over the speakers, and cued it up. As the song began to play, a huge grin burst on Phoebe's face, and she jumped up, grabbing Piper's hands. The two of them bounced on the bed, laughing and singing at the top of their voices. Paige laughed, too, just watching them. It wasn't a kid's song after all-- Phoebe's childhood wake-up song was The Beatles' "Octopus's Garden," something they listened to at home all the time, though Paige doubted seriously whether her sister remembered why she liked it so much.

_I'd like to be...under the sea...in an octopus's garden, in the shade..._

They had dinner on the outdoor deck of the posh resort restaurant, and Paige couldn't resist snapping a few candid shots of Phoebe and Piper in their sundresses and Mary-Janes. When an order of Baked Alaska arrived in flames at a neighboring table, Phoebe squealed and ran to Paige in fright, while Piper questioned her incessantly about how the flaming dessert was prepared and what it was like when it was finished. Paige admitted she didn't know much about Baked Alaska, and offered to look it up on the computer when they got home.

"What's a com'pooter?" Piper asked, frowning as she made a few of her french fries dance across the plate.

"Oh, right, well...you'll find out soon," Paige smirked, remembering that her "little" sisters were living, as far as they were concerned, in the year 1978. Piper's attention was drawn away from the flambé when a small chocolate cake with three sparkling candles was wheeled up to their table, with the words "Happy Birthday Phoebe" iced across it. Paige got a really great shot of Phoebe's face when she looked at the cake, and realized it was for her; then she watched in amusement as Piper instructed her little sister on how to make a wish and blow out the candles. A waiter began cutting the small cake into slices, and Phoebe peered across the dining room, and looked up at Paige almost shyly, a deep blush coloring her round cheeks.

"Auntie Paige?"

"What's up, birthday girl?"

"Can Jackson come have cake with us?" Paige followed Phoebe's line of vision over to where the little boy from the beach and his father sat finishing their dinner, and noted that there didn't seem to be a mom in the picture-- or at least, at the table. She smirked at Phoebe's bashful expression. _Boy crazy already, huh Pheebs?_

"Sure sweetie, it's your cake to share with whoever you want. Why don't you go ask him?"

"You," Phoebe said, burying her face in Paige dress. Paige bit her lip to keep from laughing.

"How about we go together, okay?" Phoebe nodded, peeking out from behind Paige's leg. Slowly, they made their way across the room, Phoebe attempting to mold herself to Paige's side the entire way. When Jackson looked up and saw them standing there, he imitated Phoebe, blushing crimson and throwing himself into his father's lap, and attempting to burrow into his armpit. Paige and David shared a grin.

"Jackson," Paige said gently, "Phoebe would like to ask if you and your daddy want to come have some of her birthday cake. Right Pheebs?" Phoebe nodded against Paige's leg, peeking out from behind the fabric of Paige's dress with just one eye.

"What do you say, Jack?" his father prodded him, with a wink for Paige. "A beautiful girl wants your company!" Jackson imitated Phoebe, peeking out from the safety of his father's shirt with one eye, looking terrified and pleased in equal measure. He nodded.

By the time the four of them had returned to the table, the cake had been neatly set out and two extra places added. The waiter was coming around with a serving tray of ice cream when Piper stood up on her chair and announced authoritatively, "We aren't 'aspozed to eat ice cream. It's bad." But Phoebe was already going at it with gusto, and Paige didn't have the heart to take it away from her.

"Aw, Pipe, I think it's okay as long as it's just once in a while," she smirked, watching as Phoebe and her new little friend grinned at each other with chocolate-smeared cheeks.

"Well I think Jackson's just about ready to follow you home," David chuckled as Paige handed him a plate of cake and ice cream. "Chocolate _and _a beautiful girl. I can't see how I'm gonna lure him back!"

After they finished their cake and ice cream, the five of them went for a walk down to the beach again, the three children running ahead with shrieks of delight as the waves lapped at their toes.

"Good to let them get the sugar rush out before we get back to our rooms," David observed, and Paige groaned in agreement.

"Listen, I hope I wasn't rude earlier...when you offered to watch Piper--" Paige began, but her companion cut her off with a hasty chuckle.

"No, no, I was totally out of line, I shouldn't even have suggested-- I mean, you don't know me, right?" he shrugged. "I wanted to be nice, but it came out stupid." He brushed his handy blond hair back from his eyes.

"Oh no, you're not stupid!" Paige groaned inwardly at how adolescent she sounded. "I mean, it _was_ nice, that's was I was trying to say. It was a nice thing to offer."

"Well you're very gracious," David grinned. He stopped walking, cocking his head speculatively at Paige. "Listen, I wonder if--"

But at that moment, Paige looked down as a small hand tugged her skirt. "Cawwy me," Phoebe said simply, holding out her arms with eyes half-lidded. Paige smiled, hoisting her sister up easily and settling her on her hip, where Phoebe immediately put her head down and closed her eyes, her Mary-Janes dangling limply at Paige's side.

"To be continued," Paige said quietly, with a wink. David grinned in that _oh well _way, and nodded. Gathering up their children, the two of them headed off in opposite directions for their rooms. Phoebe was asleep in Paige's arms by the time they arrived; but when Paige came out of the bathroom, ready to get them both into their pajamas, she was awake again, crying, with Piper gently patting her back.

"Phoebe, baby, what's the matter?" Paige asked, a pang going through her as she reached for the whimpering child.

"She doesn't feel good," Piper answered for her, as Phoebe curled up into a little ball with her arms around her stomach. "I _told _you we're not 'aspozed to eat ice cream." Paige looked between her sisters, and mentally kicked herself. How could she not have expected that Piper and Phoebe, like herself, might have been lactose intolerant as kids? Their mother must have warned them against dairy, but Phoebe was too little to have paid her any mind, and now, because of her carelessness, Phoebe's birthday was ending with tears.

"Oh, honey, does your tummy hurt?" Paige asked, kneeling next to her sisters and reaching out to rub Phoebe's back.

"I...want...Mommy," Phoebe whimpered, but she didn't fight when Paige pulled her into her lap.

"I'm so sorry, baby girl, but you know that you've got me and Piper here to make you feel better...right Piper?"

"Uh-huh," Piper nodded, but she was backing away from them on the bed, eyeing Phoebe suspiciously. "Auntie Paige?"

"What is it Pi--" but before she could finish, Phoebe gave a tiny moan and threw up on her. Paige had been puked on before, by her drunken friends back in her party days, and it had always grossed her out immensely. And while she wasn't thrilled to be wearing Phoebe's birthday cake in regurgitated form, she found she felt relieved rather than revolted.

"Feel better, sweetie pie?" Paige asked, gently rubbing Phoebe's back.

"I'm sowwy, Auntie Paige," Phoebe sniffed despondently.

"Shh, baby, it's okay," Paige soothed.

"Yeah Pheebs, everybody has to ralph sometimes," Piper said casually. For some reason, this made Phoebe giggle, and soon the three of them were laughing so hard that tears rolled down their cheeks. By the time Paige had them cleaned up and tucked in, she felt as exhausted as she did after an all-night demon hunt. _How do people do this every day? _she wondered, but before she'd even begun to contemplate an answer, she was fast asleep next to the two small bodies snuggled against her.


	4. witch way now?

Sugar & Spice

Chapter 4

By JewWitch

Paige woke up in the dark, not knowing at first why she was awake at all, until she felt a small, shivering body crawl under her covers and press itself against her, sobbing hot tears against her stomach. "Phoebe? What's the matter, baby girl? Is your tummy hurting again?" Paige asked anxiously, attempting to pry her sister's tiny body off her so she could get a good look at her.

"Bad man," Phoebe whimpered, her voice muffled against Paige's nightshirt. "Bad man with a monstow came an' took Piper away!" Paige looked up in alarm, but her eyes quickly settled on Piper's sleeping form across the room, arms wrapped around her teddy bear, a peaceful expression on her slack face.

"It was just a bad dream, sweetie pie," Paige whispered, stroking Phoebe's back as she continued to tremble. "There's no bad man here, and no monster either. Piper's right there in her bed asleep, see?" Paige picked Phoebe up, drying her tears and runny nose with her own sleeve. Phoebe peered cautiously over at her big sister, leaning heavily against Paige as her tears slowed.

"The monstow went away?" Phoebe whispered, looking all around the room now.

"No baby, you dreamed him. The monster was just in your imagination, okay?" Phoebe looked doubtfully up at Paige, sniffling quietly.

"What if I dweam him again, an' he comes back?"

"Do you want to stay in my bed tonight, Pheebs?" Phoebe nodded, burrowing into Paige and clutching her nightshirt tightly in one hand. "Okay," Paige murmured, pulling up the blankets and covering them both with a huge yawn. "Just for tonight..."

In the morning Phoebe seemed to have forgotten her nightmare, waking Paige at 6:30 by bouncing on the bed and singing an infernally cheerful wake-up song about birds chirping in their nest. Paige groaned and pulled the pillow over her head. Then she felt Piper's slightly larger bounces join in with Phoebe's, and knew there was no hope.

"Okay," she growled, sitting up and scattering the pillows onto the floor. "Somebody's gonna get it now!" The little girls shrieked delightedly as an all-out tickle fight began, ganging up on each other in turn until all of them lay panting and giggling on the tangled sheets. "All right, tickle monsters, let's get some breakfast."

As soon as they'd entered the dining hall, Phoebe immediately went into her "shy mode," wrapping herself around Paige's leg. "Phoebe," Paige groaned, "I can't walk with you...oh, hi." She felt herself blush as she looked up and saw David and Jackson seated at a nearby table, grinning back at them.

"Hi Phoebe," Jackson said shyly, beaming at her. "Want some of my waffles?" Phoebe looked up hopefully, and Paige snickered.

"How about we get Phoebe some of her own waffles, and then you guys can all go play on the beach together, okay?" Paige suggested, keeping one eye on Piper as she skipped around the room, inspecting everyone's breakfast. "Piper, come back here!"

"Why don't you pull up a chair and join us?" David offered. "We only just sat down."

"Oh, no, we couldn't intrude..." Paige began, but Phoebe had already left her side and boldly climbed into the empty chair next to Jackson, taking the strawberry he offered her from his plate. "...Or maybe we could," Paige amended. David grinned, and Paige grinned back.

Breakfast was a slow affair, with both adults kept busy cutting up the younger two children's food. Piper, thankfully, was old enough to wield a butter knife more or less effectively, and managed to eat her French toast with a minimum of syrup finding its way onto her shirt sleeves. By the time they had finished, the three kids had planned an elaborate tide pool hunt, and Paige decided that, if her sisters could have some kid-fun with other kids, there was no reason why she shouldn't take the opportunity to have some grown-up fun at the same time.

"All right then, pirates, are you ready to find some booty?" David asked, in an impressive pirate voice as he leered comically at the kids.

"Yeeeaaaaah!" they all shouted, jumping excitedly from their chairs.

"Wait a second, Piper," Paige said, grabbing her sister by the wrist before she could bolt from the table, and wiping her running nose with a clean napkin. Piper squirmed ineffectually until Paige released her, then scampered off after her sister and their new friend. "Boy, I am gonna make her remember this when we get home," Paige grumbled to herself. "I mean..." she stammered as David looked up, realizing she hadn't meant to speak out loud. _I mean what? After the spell wears off and she turns back into a grown-up? _"I just, um, never realized how much time parents spend dealing with bodily fluids."

"Oh yeah, welcome to the club," David chuckled, flashing Paige another of his winning smiles. "Sometimes they're like little leaky faucets with legs!" They strolled down to the beach together, Paige talking about her job as a social worker, while the kids ran ahead, stopping every few feet to examine a shell or a piece of coral. There were a few moments of howling rebellion as all three children were unwillingly doused in suntan lotion, then finally released. Paige noticed Piper sneeze and wipe her nose on the back of her hand as she ran off.

"I hope she's not getting a cold," Paige frowned, thinking that a cranky Piper was the last thing she needed.

"Nah, they all had fresh-squeezed orange juice with breakfast," David said dismissively. "That'll ward off anything, trust me. Anyway, it's impossible to get sick with all this ocean air and sun." He leaned back on the blanket, and stretched out his arms as if inviting the sun to shine down even more brightly.

"Yeah," Paige sighed, closing her eyes for a moment and basking in the warm breeze on her skin. "A girl could sure get used to this place." Even with her eyes closed, she could hear Phoebe and Piper's shouts of laughter, and the sounds of splashing from the nearby tide pools. She felt herself beginning to relax, delighting in the cool sand between her toes. It seemed impossible for anything, demonic or otherwise, to hurt them here. The hot sun beat down, and the breeze lulled her, and without really meaning to, Paige fell asleep.

"Auntie Paige, Auntie Paige!" Phoebe shook Paige's shoulder impatiently until her eyes flew open, and sat bolt upright with a gasp.

"What's wrong?" Paige asked automatically, blinking in the bright midday sun.

"We found a funny cwab with six legs! Come see," Phoebe giggled, pulling Paige's hand and hopping from one foot to the other.

"Okay...okay," Paige yawned, getting to her feet and stretching. "How come you didn't wake me up?" she asked David over her shoulder, frowning at how much progress the sun had made across the sky.

"I'm sorry, I thought this was supposed to be a vacation," he said cheekily, with a wink.

"Hmph," Paige pouted for a moment, but it quickly turned to a grudging grin. Phoebe led both adults over to the tide pool where Piper and Jackson sat deep in investigation, pointing out all their discoveries excitedly. They also had a bucket full of coral they'd collected, and a few beautifully spiraling conch shells. They brought all the booty back to their beach blanket, where Paige and David ordered a picnic lunch from one of the wandering beach waiters. Tired from their active morning, the kids were content to lounge on the blanket while they waited for their food, recounting all their adventures with obvious embellishment.

When the food arrived, David handed around the peanut butter and jelly sandwiches to the kids, and Paige noticed something that made her stomach twitch nervously. When Phoebe took her sandwich from David's hand, she jerked and gave a small gasp, as if something had surprised her. Paige knew that look on her sister's face, knew it well, but it couldn't be what she thought it was-- Phoebe and Piper didn't have their powers now, Leo had said so himself. Looking down at Phoebe's troubled expression, though, Paige wondered if Leo could have been wrong.

"Pheebs? Are you okay, sweetie?" Paige asked uncertainly. Phoebe frowned and put one hand over her stomach.

"Auntie Paige?" Piper was tugging her arm, an anxious expression on her freckled face. "Something feels funny." She frowned, wrinkling her nose.

"What do you--" Paige started to say, but before she could finish, Piper's eyebrows knit together, as she took a deep breath and sneezed onto her plate. The bucket of coral beside her exploded. Paige jumped in surprise, her heart beating double time as she glanced quickly around them. Something strange was happening, something magical, and possibly demonic. Piper and Phoebe's powers were coming back-- did that mean the spell was wearing off? What if they changed back into adults right here on the beach, in broad daylight?

"Whoa!" David exclaimed, looking up at the ruins of the plastic pail in confusion. "What happened?" Paige was spared the need to answer when she looked down, and realized Phoebe was bleeding. A piece of coral must have struck her on the side of her head when the bucket exploded, though she seemed too dazed to have noticed the blood dripping from her temple to her chin.

"Oh, honey," Paige exclaimed, reaching for a napkin to wipe away the thin red trail. "David, I'm sorry, I'd better take them in," Paige said quickly, standing with Phoebe in her arms.

"Of course," David nodded, though he looked slightly bewildered, and Paige hoped desperately that he wouldn't ask her any more questions.

"C'mon, Piper," she said urgently, hoping the stubborn six-year-old wouldn't resist leaving the beach as she had before. But Piper seemed eager to stay close to Paige and Phoebe, jumping up and running to her side with an anxious look.

"Bye bye Phoebe!" Jackson called after them, as Piper reached up and took Paige's hand.

"Bye bye," Phoebe mumbled, still looking dazed. _Please oh please don't have a concussion,_ Paige thought desperately, as she walked quickly toward the hotel, tugging Piper along beside her. A loud sniffle made her look down nervously.

"Piper, do you have to sneeze again?" she asked, glancing around for more things her sister might accidentally blow up.

"Uh-uh," Piper shook her head, wiping her nose with her free hand. "Auntie Paige, did I make the coral blow up?" she frowned, a scared and confused expression on her face. Paige cringed, at a total loss for words. But with her sister's trusting hazel eyes looking up at her for assurance, she knew she had to say something.

"You didn't do anything wrong, sweetie," Paige assured her, squeezing her hand.

"But I hurt Phoebe," Piper said in a small voice, tears welling up in her eyes.

"It wasn't your fault, Pipe, it was just an accident. Okay?" Piper sniffed and nodded bravely, letting go of Paige's hand to wipe her eyes. Paige turned to punch in the code for their door lock, a physical sense of relief flooding through her when it swung open to her. She rushed in and sat Phoebe down on the bathroom counter, smiling encouragingly at the frightened child.

"My head huwts," Phoebe whined, reaching up to touch her bloody temple.

"No, baby, don't touch," Paige said gently, grabbing her sister's small hand and pulling it down. "I know it hurts, we're gonna fix it up right now, okay?"

"I want Piper," Phoebe whimpered.

"Piper's right here, sweetie," Paige smiled, glancing around for her other sister. But Piper _wasn't _there. "Piper?" Paige called, her heart leaping into her throat when there was no answer. "Piper Marie Halliwell, answer me right now!" Paige yelled, turning full circle in the small bathroom. Hadn't Piper been right behind her? Hadn't they come into the room together? _"Piper!!" _she shrieked, and Phoebe began to cry.

"Oh, baby, I'm sorry I scared you," Paige said quickly, picking Phoebe up and rocking her.

"The bad man took her," Phoebe sobbed, clutching Paige with small trembling fingers. "The bad man and the monstow!" Paige looked down at the top of Phoebe's head, and felt as if a bucket of ice had just been dropped into her stomach.

"Phoebe, the bad man and the monster from your dream-- did you see them on the beach just now? Right before the coral blew up, did you see them in your mind?" Phoebe nodded, and the icy feeling in Paige's stomach began to wriggle and squirm. _"Leo!" _she shouted.

...TO BE CONCLUDED IN CHAPTER FIVE!!!


	5. Don't mess with a Halliwell!

Sugar & Spice

Chapter 5 (Conclusion)

By JewWitch

When Leo orbed in and saw Paige holding a crying, bleeding Phoebe in her arms, he didn't ask questions, but went straight to them with his hands outstretched. When he was done, Phoebe looked up at him in wonder, her tears stopped.

"Hey Phoebe," Leo grinned, gently patting her head. "You okay?" Phoebe sniffed, and nodded mutely, gripping Paige more tightly around her neck. "Paige, what happened?"

"Everything's going crazy, Leo! Their p-o-w-e-r-s started to come back on the beach, then I turned around for one second and Piper was gone, and from what Phoebe said I'm pretty sure a d-e-m-o-n has her," Paige finished breathlessly, spelling out the words she thought would scare her sister. "I've got to fix this-- you take Phoebe somewhere safe, okay?" She tried to pass Phoebe off to Leo, but her sister's arms and legs locked around her.

"No!" Phoebe yelled, her tears starting up again. "Stay with you!"

"Honey, I know you're scared right now, but Leo loves you very much, and he won't let anything hurt you," Paige said tenderly, attempting to extricate herself from her tiny sister's iron grip.

"No, no, no!" Phoebe shrieked, her face growing red as her little chest heaved. "Find Piper! Find Piper!" She cried so hard, she couldn't breathe. Paige rocked Phoebe and patted her back as she coughed, looking at Leo helplessly with a _what now _expression on her face. Paige had done her best, but she _wasn't_ really a parent; and she was reaching the end of her rope. Before any of them had time to react, a field of bright blue orbs erupted around Phoebe, wrenching her from Paige's grip. She didn't fall, but floated in midair for a few moments, hovering inside the field of light; then a full-grown Phoebe stood before them, gasping for breath, her cheeks still wet with tears. She blinked, looking back and forth between Paige and Leo with a bewildered expression.

"Paige...? What's...what happened? I feel so..." Phoebe rubbed her head, stumbling slightly. Paige and Leo both reached out to steady her.

"The spell must have had a safety mechanism," Leo said as Paige steered Phoebe toward the edge of the tub, sitting down next to her with a steadying hand on her arm. "As soon as she felt real fear and pain, the conditions of the spell were compromised, and she reverted to normal."

"Okay, this is good," Paige nodded, thinking fast. "Do you think the same thing happened to Piper?"

"Let's hope so," Leo said grimly.

"Wait a minute," Phoebe said, holding up one hand. "Whathappened to Piper?"

"I don't have time to explain everything now, Pheebs...short version, she's in trouble, we gotta go kick some demon ass. Are you up to it?"

"Yeah, of course," Phoebe nodded shakily. "But, um...maybe I should put on some clothes first?" Paige looked down and realized Phoebe was still in nothing but a bathing suit, which had, thankfully, grown to adult size with her, though it still bore the rainbow and smiling cloud pattern it had when she'd been a toddler. Phoebe frowned in confusion.

"Right," Paige nodded, snickering despite her anxiety. "Oh! I have an idea. Leo, go get the scrying stuff, quick." Leo didn't question her, and immediately orbed out.

"Paige," Phoebe said slowly as she crossed the room and pulled out her suitcase, "was I...were Piper and me just...?"

"Kids, yes. Very cute ones, no time to explain, but Piper might still be six years old, and without her powers-- or, well, without any control over them, anyway."

"Okay, the demon that took her-- what do we know?"

"Basically nothing, but I think we can find him with..." Paige rooted around in the bedside cabinet for a moment. "This!" she exclaimed triumphantly, pulling out a scrap of paper with a phone number written on it.

"The demon gave you its phone number?" Phoebe asked, one eyebrow shooting up.

"Hey, at least I didn't marry him," Paige shot back with an evil grin. "Anyway, I didn't know he was a demon."

"So how do you know he is one now?" Phoebe asked, pointedly ignoring the jibe.

"I don't," Paige shrugged. "But it's our best shot. Last night you had a premonition, do you remember?"

"Sort of," Phoebe frowned.

"Well I thought it was just a nightmare, but you kept talking about a bad man and a monster taking Piper away...and this guy David has been kind of hanging around us all week with his kid. I thought he was just a single dad, you know," Paige shrugged helplessly.

"What about the kid?"

"Well you were gaga over him, so even odds say he's a demon too," Paige deadpanned.

"I'm so glad that in the midst of a crisis, you still find time to be funny," Phoebe said dryly, pulling on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. "All right, let's go get our little sister back."

They orbed into a dimly-lit cave, 60 miles off the coast according to the map they'd use to scry with. They felt sure now that David and Jackson were Phoebe's "bad man and monster," for what other explanation would a normal human father and preschool-aged son have for relocating to the remote cavern? They tiptoed into the cold room, gripping each other's hands tightly, alert for the slightest sound or movement. The sound of chanting echoed from deeper inside, and they followed it, until they rounded a corner and found an enormous, muscled demon, his skin red with black markings, baring his many pointed teeth as he stood above a rough stone altar. Lying on the altar was an unconscious Piper, still six years old, with dried blood caked over the left side of her face. Phoebe gasped, squeezing Paige's hand painfully tight. Paige felt her own heart seize in her chest as she gazed upon the scene, and was ready to charge in and start throwing punches when Phoebe pulled her back around the corner.

"Paige," she hissed, "that's an upper level demon! You can't just run in there, we need a plan."

"Okay," Paige agreed, her mouth very dry. "I'll orb you across the room, and you can hit him from behind-- just distract him long enough for me to nab Piper, then I'll orb us all out."

Phoebe bit her lip, and nodded. They both knew that without Piper's blasting power, they'd need a vanquishing potion. But before they could worry about that, they needed to get their sister somewhere safe. Steeling their resolve, the two sisters tiptoed back around the corner. Paige noticed a horrible, troll-like little creature scurrying up beside the larger demon, tittering excitedly as he approached Piper's limp body. With a flash of cold fury, Paige waved her hand and orbed Phoebe to the far side of the cave.

"Hey!" Phoebe yelled, drawing the demons' attention toward herself and away from Paige, who hurried up to the altar. "Get your slimy demon claws off my sister!" She levitated and kicked the taller demon square across the jaw, sending him stumbling back. Paige gathered Piper up as quickly as she could, her movement jostling the confused child enough to wake her slightly. Piper's eyes blinked open just in time to see Phoebe get thrown into the wall. She screamed, eyes wide and terrified. The demon turned and saw Paige, making off with his prize, and grinned.

"Clever little witch," he sneered, with an inhuman growl. "Now you can die together!" For the second time that night, Paige felt a strange, electrical charge as Piper was enveloped in a field of orbs, and wrenched from her arms. The demon, who looked even more surprised than Paige, snarled and threw a fireball, but it just bounced off Piper's orbs and ricocheted back, grazing his huge red shoulder. He howled, clutching at the wound.

"Hey." When the demon looked up, he saw a grown woman in place of the little girl he'd stolen, a fierce, almost predatory look in her hazel eyes. "Why don't you pick on someone your own size?" Piper jeered. Then she blew him to kingdom come. The little demon turned on his heels, ready to run for it, but Paige orbed the thick silver blade lying beside the altar, and sent it into his back at top speed. He burst into flame, and was gone.

"Piper, oh my god, are you okay?" Paige panted, hugging her sister tightly and gently probing the gash on her head.

"I think so," Piper said slowly, blinking bemusedly as Phoebe rushed over and threw herself onto her sisters, too. "I just have one question..." She looked down, examining her Winnie-the-Pooh beach cover-up. "What the hell am I wearing?"

**Epilogue**

Piper yawned as she wandered into the kitchen, surprised to find both her sisters already up, talking quietly over their coffee. "Hey, early risers," she smiled sleepily.

"Morning, Pipe," Phoebe smiled.

"Actually, it's almost eleven," Paige clarified, raising one eyebrow. "How are you feeling, sweetie? Still sniffly?"

"Just a little," Piper shrugged, pouring herself a cup of coffee. Paige raised one eyebrow. She hopped off her seat, going over to Piper and smoothing her hair back gently from her face, laying her hand against her sister's forehead and then her cheek. Piper just blinked at her in surprise.

"Well...no fever, that's good," Paige frowned thoughtfully. "But I heard you coughing and sneezing half the night, and you're still a little pale." She plucked the coffee from Piper's hands, and poured it out. Piper's jaw dropped open in outrage. Phoebe bit down on her fist to keep from laughing, as Paige went to the sink and made up a cup of tea, handing it to Piper, who was now looking at Paige as though she had three heads.

"Hey, I just spent the past four days wiping your nose," Paige said defensively, with a shrug. "There's no going back from that, you know." Phoebe, despite her best efforts, burst out laughing.

"Oh, you think it's funny?" Piper quipped, grinning evilly at Phoebe. "At least I'm not the one who ralphed on her." That shut Phoebe up quick.

"We never did exactly thank you for taking such good care of us all week, did we, Paigey?" Phoebe asked, cocking her head thoughtfully.

"Oh, yeah, well..." Paige blushed slightly. "Seeing as how it was my spell that turned you into kids in the first place, I'd say we're about even." They all grinned at each other. "Piper, you're not drinking your tea," Paige prodded. Piper stuck out her tongue. Phoebe laughed. Paige raised her eyebrow sternly.

"Yes, Auntie Paige," Piper said contritely. Grinning innocently, she picked up her mug and drank.

THE END

...Hope everyone enjoyed my little romp:)


End file.
